EXPATRIATE ASSIGNMENTS AND OVERSEAS EXPERIENCES

EXPATRIATE DEFINITION

It means someone who goes abroad temporarily and is hired by a multinational company, in order to work successfully achieving the overseas needs like looking for expanding its customers and consequently its recognition in foreign countries.

BEING EXPATRIATE REQUIRES:

· Ability to work and live successfully in a foreign environment
· Open minded person
·Knowledge of company’s marketing strategy, mission and vision
· Capability to make international affairs

EXPECTED OUTCOMES BEING EXPATRIATE:

· Organizational learning
· Improvement on organizational strategy
· Transfer of new skills and knowledge
· Completion of the job assignment

MAIN ISSUES

Even though, being expatriate may have some many issues, which do not allow the achievement of the assignments because of, most of them have familiar ties that do not let them leave thinking about their assignments only.

Expatriate has expectation to go back because he misses his family or even because he is not ready to be opened to change. Another issue is that it represents a high cost for the company or maybe there is a high cost of failure.

THREE ACTORS IN THE OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE:

1. INDIVIDUALS: the individuals have their own interests being expatriated rather than the company has. They look for powerlessness, good corporate citizen, and career development.

2. COMPANY: The company`s interests are dedicated to develop short-term objectives and new competencies to bring home.


3. INDUSTRY: Its interests are focused on building industry and national expertise. It is looking for transference of cross-cultural skills.

THE EXPATRIATE TRANSITION PROCESS

The person who will send to other country committed with the company`s assignments is going to overtake a process which would change his or her life. He or she has to adjust the foreign country’s culture to his culture avoiding a failure occasioned to the cultural crash.

THE EXPATRIATE SELECTION

Before choosing an expatriate of the multinational company is important to consider:
· Make sure to do an appropriate selection criteria
· The person’s preparation on it
· Career planning- succession plan

Then the selection would be easy:

• Criteria:
  — Technical skills and knowledge
  — Cross cultural awareness + interpersonal skills

• Success factors:
  — Job factors
  — Relational dimensions (cultural empathy, flexibility=
  — Motivational state
  — Family situation

• Preparation:
  — Language skills
  — Technical knowledge and skills
  — Cross-cultural training
  
  
  
  Question:
  
  Explain one of the causes for expatriate assignment failure and provide 3 recommendations to address it.
  


• REASONS FOR EXPATRIATE FAILURE:
• Inability of spouse to adjust
• Difficulties with new environment
• Personal or emotional problems
• Other familiar problems
• Lack of technical skills

• According to these reasons for failure the recommendations are involve to:
• Hire people with international traveling experience
• To make an excellent selection process
• To offer good compensation plans (living, transportation, and education for children)
  
  
• References:
  Inkson, Kerr et al. 1999. Expatriate assignments and overseas experiences – contrasting models of international human resource development. Journal of World Business. 34: 351-368.